Window Cleaner Foils Bank Robbery Attempt, Apparently He Berated The Poor Would-Be Thief

Foul moods are never a good sign. However, for a bank in London, a window cleaner in a bad mood was able to foil a robbery attempt, with nothing but his attitude.

A window cleaner who was in a very bad mood and was coincidentally present during the robbery attempt, disarmed a would-be bank robber and chased him down the street in south London – and held him there until police arrived.

James Rowley, 34, was at Lloyds Bank in Coulsdon, south London when the robber, later identified as Andrew Fernandez, 47, entered the bank. Fernandez was wearing a helmet to disguise his identity and his choice of weapon was a handgun, reported The Telegraph.

When the would-be thief threatened the cashier, James, who was already in a foul mood, lost it and berated Andrew. Evidently, James realized that the gun Andrew was wielding was an imitation handgun, which police officials later confirmed. As Andrew realized he won’t be able to rob this bank today, he made a hasty retreat, but James gave chase, which ended on the street. Though the CCTV video footage shows the dialogue between the robber and James, there is no visual proof of how James tackled Andrew to the ground and pinned him down till the police arrived.

Explaining his actions later, James said, “I was in a bad mood. I’d been dashing around all morning like a headless chicken trying to get the cheques and money together to pay the bills.”

If his struggles weren’t bogging him down enough, fate landed a robber right in the same bank where James was struggling with his finances, reported ITV.

“When I saw him enter the bank waving the gun around, making demands, I just acted on instinct. I thought that the gun wasn’t real and therefore I knew I had to act,” said Mr. Rowley. “I was at the counter and I saw this guy walk in with a crash helmet on. I just thought ‘here we go’. I knew what was going to happen next and I wasn’t in the mood for it,” added James.

James Rowley was presented with a Commendation for his actions by Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley. He was also given £1,200 from the sheriff’s fund for his bravery. As for the would-be robber, 47-year-old Andrew Fernandez has been jailed for life for the attempted armed robbery.

[Image Credit | Metropolitan Police via ITV]